Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway

Story of the Byway

The Rangeley Lakes Region, the Byway’s namesake, has been recognized as a beautiful frontier for generations. In the early 1800s, the region was settled by a small number of hardy pioneers and woodsmen. Although the region had initially been rugged and remote, the region grew slowly, sustaining about a dozen family farms and lumber mills throughout the first half of the century. By the 1860s, fishermen from cities along the eastern seaboard discovered 10 to 12 lbs brook trout swimming in this region’s pristine waters. The discovery altered the small community forever. As word began to spread about the region’s unparalleled fishing and rugged beauty, large numbers of sportsmen and their families began to journey to the region annually. Travelling by trains, buckboards, and steamships and accompanied by their servants and nannies, enter families flocked to the region for three-month summer vacations, sustaining a bustling tourism economy. By 1925, the Rangeley Lakes Region had become a beloved, premier destination resort for many visitors, including a host of U.S. presidents, from all corners of the nation.

Today, the region is well loved by local residents and visitors for its wide array of activities that extend throughout the year. Visitors will enjoy exploring the region’s cultural history and outstanding scenic, natural, and recreational resources, which are available during all four seasons. Visitors can kick off the summer months with a host of festivals, concerts, and museums--all while enjoying outdoor recreation activities such as boating, hiking, fishing, bicycling, and wildlife watching. Hikers will enjoy travelling along the famous Appalachian Trail, which crosses both Routes 4 and 17 and provides recreational access to the extensive trail system and to many of the highest peaks in the area. As the seasons shift to autumn, which paints the surrounding mountains in red and gold, visitors come to enjoy leaf watching, hiking, and hunting in the refreshing Maine air. In Rangeley Village, they will find cups of fresh squeezed cider from the Apple Festival and tours of the Wilhelm Reich Museum and the Rangeley Lakes Region Logging Museum to round out an autumn drive on the Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway. Winter arrives early, a paradise for snow lovers as the region is often covered in 12 feet of snow. Though it may seem cold, the region is hot with activity from Christmas fairs to concerts to the annual “Snodeo” festival. Visitors to the byway will join a host of skiers, snowmobilers, and ice skaters and have the opportunity to explore the beauty of Maine’s winter recreation. Nearby the byway are to nationally renown slopes, Saddleback and Sugarloaf mountains, which both have opportunities for all levels of skill. Along the way, visitors may encounter snowmobilers. Many snowmobilers use the trails in the area for long-distance travel, some even going beyond the U.S.-Canadian border. As the temperatures rise and the snow thaws into spring, visitors will enjoy unparalleled scenery as they take in the beautiful wildflowers and majestic lupine, all while enjoying the region’s fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching.